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In accordance with FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, A Chick Who Reads would like to let everyone know that books featured on this blog were either provided by the publisher or author or were purchased by A Chick Who Reads. The books received by A Chick Who Reads from publishers and authors were provided for review and no payment was received by me and did not influence my opinion of the material.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Shadow by the Bridge by Suzanne Zewan

Publication Date: November 1, 2017

No Frills Buffalo

eBook & Paperback; 368 Pages

ISBN-13: 9780998881188

Genre: Historical Mystery

11-year-old Fritz Reynolds recalled his father telling him that man is the only creature who can find amusement in killing. Little did he realize that those words would become the theme for his teenage years growing up in the rural hamlet of Linden, New York. In this coming-of-age story, Fritz takes us back to a simpler time when neighbors gathered at the general store to listen to radio shows, drank barrel-aged cider, a,,nd worshiped at the Baptist church every Sunday. All was picturesque in his close-knit farming community until terror was unleashed on them.

Review: Shadow by the Bridge is a historical mystery based on the Linden murders that happened in the early part of the 1900's in Linden, NY.

The first murder is witnessed by 11 year old Fritz, who runs from the scene of the crime in fear for his life.

A good many of the characters are based on real people. The main character, Fritz is fictional, but he is perfect for bringing all the events together. We watch him go from a scared little boy, who is getting over the loss of his father, who witnesses the first terrible crime, to a teenage boy experiencing his first love.

This was a quick read, one of the few I actually read in a little over a day which for me is really difficult, but I quickly became attached to the characters and the events of the small town.

Suzanne really brings the town to life with the feelings of fear start to build as the murder victims start hitting closer to home. I found myself googling "the Linden murders" to see what really happened. Suzanne really seemed to follow the events really well. It made the book a great mix of fact and fiction.

It is hard to imagine the fear that these people went through in those years, especially as these crimes went unsolved.

If you are a fan of historical mysteries, you really won't want to miss this one.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

Suzanne is coordinator at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership and is an adjunct professor at Buffalo State College. She has a M.A. in English and Creative Writing and a M.S.Ed. in Career and Technical Education. Other publications include a poem in Jigsaw (2014), a short story and two poems in Jigsaw (2016), and a short story in Amaranth Review (2016).
For more information, please visit Suzanne Zewan's website. You can also find Suzanne on Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away two paperback copies of Shadow by the Bridge to one lucky winner! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
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– Only one entry per household.
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– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Shadow by the Bridge